Dr Andrei Seluanov

Professor of Biology

University of Rochester

Dr. Andrei Seluanov is a Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester. Dr. Seluanov’s research is focused on understanding the mechanisms of longevity and genome stability and on the studies of exceptionally long-lived and cancer-resistant mammals. He earned his BSc degree at Saint Petersburg State University, Russia and his Ph.D. at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. Dr. Seluanov applies comparative biology approach to study aging and identified rules that control the evolution of tumor suppressor mechanisms depending on the species lifespan and body mass. More recently the focus of his research has been on the longest-lived rodent species in the naked mole rats and the blind mole rat. Seluanov’s group identified high molecular weight hyaluronan as the key mediator of cancer-resistance in the naked mole rat. Dr. Seluanov also demonstrated that DNA double-strand break repair becomes less efficient with aging and cellular senescence which leads to genomic instability and cancer, and this decline is rescued by Sirtuin 6. Seluanov’s work has been published in high profile journals including Nature and Science. He received awards from the Ellison Medical Foundation, Life Extension Foundation and from the National Institutes of Health. The work on cancer-resistance in the naked mole rat was awarded the Cozzarelli Prize from PNAS for outstanding scientific excellence and originality, Prince Hitachi Prize in Comparative Oncology (Japan), and Davey Prize from the University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Center.